The Light of the Dying Land
by ShitanePaiko
Summary: A short story of Mirania when she goes out for a small walk. It takes place somewhere in the middle of the game. This story will have spoilers for those who haven't gotten too far into the game yet. Enjoy… ...


_Hey!...^^...second Last Story fanfic...I'm in school right now and supposed to be writing a lab write up but...XP...writing fanfics are much funner….I'm actually supposed to be writing the next chapter of my other fanfic story but somehow, I'm unable to open that document...don't know why but hopefully it'll open later otherwise i'm gonna have to type that whole chapter up again...T^T…_

_Ok...this story is one that focuses on Mirania as she...i dunno...I'll figure out as I write…^^;_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters…^^..._

_Warning: There are spoilers for those who haven't gotten too far into the game yet.  
_

Mirania lies in her bed at Ariela's Tavern. She was bored and there was nothing to do. Also, she was hungry but everyone protested that she'd had enough for dinner and sent her away to her room so she wouldn't eat all the food. Personally, she thought she had ate very few tonight…only two chickens, five loaves of bread, and four bowls of soup...plus a few cookies...but she was still starving.

Groaning, Mirania sits up and glances outside. It was still light outside and the sun had barely started to set, the perfect moment for a walk.

She gets off her bed and goes downstairs to where everyone was still eating at. Quietly, Mirania opens the door of the tavern, ignoring all the questions of where she was going.

Dagran grabs her arm. "Hey. Mirania? Where are you going at this time?"

Mirania turns and smiles. "Oh. I'm just heading out for a walk…outside seems beautiful..don't you think?"

Hesitant, Dagran releases her. "Well...alright...don't stay out too late. We have a lot to do tomorrow and I wouldn't want you to wake up all sleepy and everything. Also, it'll be dark soon. None of us would want you to get lost in the city or catch a cold..."

"Don't worry. I will be back before it gets dark."

Dagran nods. "Ok…"

Mirania walks out and shuts the door gently. Immediately, she was hit by a refreshing breeze. Smiling, Mirania stands there for a moment, letting the wind blow through her hair and send each strand dancing wildly.

She walks slowly, taking her time as she walks through the central plaza. Glancing up, Mirania watches those shining white flakes flutter down. The dying land...those beautiful things were the dying land...darkness hidden behind the beauty.

Mirania catches one of these white flakes in her hand and watches as it disintegrated into tiny pieces. Those tiny specks floated away with the wind, mixing in with all those other shining fragments of the land.

She sighs. The poor land. It was happening everywhere...but why...she needed to find the answer. That was her reason to travel along with the rest of the mercenaries.

Mirania walks out to the bridge and stand there, watching the last rays of the sun reflect off the water. The sun gradually disappears behind those houses in the distance. She watches the blue sky changing into yellow...yellow darkening to orange...orange shimmering into red...red fading into purple...purple dissolving into the black sky with dots of shining lights.

A sudden blast of cold wind sweeps through the town causing her to shiver. It was getting really dark now. Perhaps it was best to return back to the tavern. But Mirania wanted to stay out here. She didn't like the indoors where there was hardly any nature.

Quietly, she took out a bundle wrapped in cloth from a pouch hanging off her belt and unwraps it. A white flower lies on top of the worn cloth. A pure white flower, with pale blue streaks on the petal. It was almost shining in the darkness, refusing to let the dark take over the light.

Mirania had found a travelling merchant selling that a few hours ago and bought it. That flower brought back so many memories. She had recognized that flower as one she had seen in the forest she once lived in. But no matter how much she pleaded nor offered to the merchant, the merchant refused to tell her where he had gotten it from. He had told her that it was a secret...and that was the only one of those flowers he had found.

All the other flowers of this she had seen had been rotting away, falling apart with the land. Yet...yet somehow...a merchant had been able to find one...just one that was still blooming with such beauty that she found it impossible to believe it was that same flower. But she knew that she was never wrong when it came to flowers and herbs.

A feeling of warmth spread through her as she remembered that forest with those flowers. Those flowers were abundant, found everywhere no matter where you went in the forest.

Mirania's warmth faded away to sadness and grief as she remembered the days when the forest started to die. So much life was dying and along with that, the Forest Guardian. The same glowing fragments of the land fluttered in the sky as it did now in Lazulis City. Then, the land forest died completely and the Forest Guardian died as well.

She missed the Forest Guardian being the only known parent to her. The Forest Guardian had taught her so much when she was little...from flowers...to trees...to herbs...to medicine...and everything she could possibly know about nature.

Suddenly, a huge blast of wind swept the flower from her hands. Desperately, Mirania lunges for it only for the flower to dance out of her grasp. The pale flower fluttered away, along with the dying land. They were of the same color, yet so different. One of death...the other of life.

The wind calms down and glowing white continues to drift down. Mirania cups her hand as those pieces land in her open palm. Then, she sees it...a petal...a petal from the flower among the dying land….in her hand.

Mirania holds onto that petal tightly, not wanting to lose the flower again, not even this small piece of it. Smiling, she turns to head back to the tavern. The petal renewed her hope. Not everything was dead yet...there is still chance and hope left…

She enters the warmth of the tavern, shivering from being out in the cold for so long.

"Oy! Mirania! What have you been doing out there?!" Syrenne asks staring at Mirania's shivering figure.

"Nothing...nothing much." Mirania replies with a smile. "Just taking a walk...it just got really cold on the way back."

Syrenne stands up and shouts, "Hey! Bring in another cup of booze! Some alcohol will sure warm you up, Mirania."

"Ummm...no thank you, Syrenne. I'm quite alright."

"Aw..come on…"

Zael sighs. "Just leave her alone, Syrenne…"

Syrenne grins in a drunken haze. "Then you come drink with me."

"Errr…."

"I'll take it." Lowell smirks.

"No! I'm not giving it to you!"

Dagran facepalms. "Everyone get some rest already. There's no need to get riled up over a drink…"

Syrenne sighs. "Alright. Alright…"

Everyone heads off to bed. Mirania sits down on her bed and opens her hand. She had been holding the petal in her hand for quite a while, not wanting to lose it. Mirania strokes the lone petal carefully.

Smiling, she slips the petal under her pillow and falls asleep….

_A/N: When I started writing this, I had no clue what I was gonna write about...XD….not a single clue...only that it was gonna include Mirania…^^;...but...when I started to write...whoosh...a bunch of ideas on just a flower...XD…I'm actually quite surprised at what i wrote...XD...i'm usually not too good on description…^^;...well...this story also got me inspired to draw something too...so…\(^o^)/..._

_Please review...I would really really really appreciate a review to improve my writing skills...so...please…^^..._


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